Xi Jinping calls for China and South Korea to ‘meet each other halfway’ as ties strain under US pressure

Xi tells Prime Minister Han Duck-soo the countries should integrate supply chains and says he would ‘seriously’ consider Seoul visit

Beijing is increasingly frustrated with growing US-Japan-South Korea alliance, but Seoul appears to be attempting to repair ties

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South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo (left) is the highest-ranking Seoul official to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping since November. Photo: Xinhua

Published: 2:01pm, 24 Sep 2023Updated: 3:46pm, 24 Sep 2023

China and South Korea should “meet each other halfway” and improve supply chain integration, Chinese President Xi Jinping told South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo.

Han, who was invited to China for the Asian Games in Hangzhou, met the Xi on Saturday before the opening ceremony.

He is the most senior South Korean official Xi has met since a meeting with President Yoon Suk-yeol last November in Indonesia.

Xi told Han that China and South Korea were friendly neighbours and “inseparable” economic partners and called for mutual respect and increased communication, according to the Chinese foreign ministry.

“China adheres to a good-neighbourly and friendly policy towards South Korea and values South Korea’s positive willingness to commit to China-South Korea cooperation. [We] hope South Korea and China will meet each other halfway, reflect the importance and development of China-South Korea relations in policies and actions, respect each other, and maintain the general direction of friendly cooperation.

“China and South Korea have close economic ties and deep integration in industrial and supply chains. The two countries can deepen mutually beneficial cooperation and continue to achieve mutual success,” he said.

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